Healthy skin and medicinal plants
Published on September 18, 2014 - Cosmetics
The need to touch and feel the contact with the skin, are physiological needs that involve a multitude of factors, both psychological and emotional, and biological.
This indicates how important perception is, through the skin, of the world and everything that surrounds us.
In fact, the skin is a barrier between us and the environment, a defense barrier against external aggressions, a contact barrier for what makes us feel good, but above all it is a mirror of our state of health.
Precisely for this reason we must not overlook the importance of having healthy skin.
Let’s remember that the skin is one of our emunctory organs (organs responsible for the elimination of substances from the body, as well as the liver, intestines, lungs and kidneys) whose diseases must be interpreted from a holistic point of view (vision of the organism as a whole and not divided into its components) because their cause can be traced back to deeper issues.
In fact, the skin expresses an internal imbalance through dermatitis (eczema), hives, itching, acne, furunculosis and so on.
In case of various skin eruptions, remedies based on medicinal plants can be used both topically, and then have a local action (creams, ointments, compresses ..) and for oral use.
The external application of phytotherapeutic preparations, in association with the assumption of herbal teas or decoctions purifying for the skin, is often the winning combination.
Remember the importance of depuration as a forerunner for more specific treatments and especially as a means of eliminating toxins coming from outside (overloaded foods, alcohol, smoke, etc. ..) or from internal metabolic imbalances, which often try to leave our body through the skin.
Therefore, in order to carry out good purification, which has repercussions on the state of our skin, we use all those plants that improve liver function (and consequently intestinal) and have a good draining effect.
Let’s remember that if the intestine and the liver are tired and overloaded, inevitably our skin suffers as well.
Milk Thistle, Artichoke and Burdock, which have specific action on the liver, will certainly be part of our purification treatment for the skin.
In particular, Burdock is described as a plant dedicated to skin drainage and also regulates sebaceous secretion and therefore particularly suitable for the treatment of impure, acne and oily skin.
Another specific plant, which is often associated with the above mentioned plants, is Pansy (Viola tricolor L.).
This plant has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties and is able to validly contrast the excessive secretion of sebaceous glands.
Useful in the case of juvenile acne and in general in dermatological afflictions of an inflammatory nature.
Moreover, Viola tricolor, because of the content of flavonoids, also has a protective effect on capillaries, improving circulation and nourishment of the dermis.
Known for its diuretic properties, but also effective in the treatment of skin disorders, is Spiny restharrow (Ononis spinosa L.).
The ancients used it in the way of decoction and baths made with the whole plant, because of its purifying properties on the skin.
Recent studies have shown its effectiveness in the treatment of chronic and itchy dermatitis.
As we have already said, many skin disorders are not always related to local causes, but they can often be of psychosomatic origin (a striking example is psoriasis).
In this case, plants that act as mild sedatives of the central nervous system can be an excellent support for the treatment of skin problems. Lemon balm is a clear example.
Of fundamental importance is to keep the skin always elastic, nourished and protected.
In this case, emollient plants often help and are able to soften tissue, protect them and make them less sensitive.
These are mostly plants with starchy and mucilaginous content such as: Barley (Oryza sativa), Wheat (Triticum aestivum) and Oat (Avena sativa), where the seed rich in starch is used; or for the constituents in mucilage: Altea, Mallow, Aloe, Icelandic Lichen, Ivy, Olive and many others.
In conclusion, let’s remember how important nutrition is: correcting dietary problems, sometimes, besides being useful, can be decisive for healing.
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